BMW says its Mini E, being tested in Los Angeles and New York, goes 156 miles on a full charge.

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By Chris Woodyard and James R. Healey, USA TODAY

LOS ANGELES  As automakers amp up plans for electric vehicles, more local and state governments are trying to plug themselves into the movement.

Nissan Motor just announced alliances with Sonoma County, Calif., and the state of Oregon. And the mayors of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose have a nine-step program aimed at making the Bay Area the "electric vehicle capital of the U.S."

The moves come as automakers speed up their programs for electrics — plug-in vehicles powered only by electricity stored in a battery. Today, 14 major companies and some smaller ones have announced plans to put electric cars on the road in one to four years. Little more than a year ago, it was just General Motors and Tesla, says Sherry Boschert, author of Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars That Will Recharge America. "People are moving forward on this," she says. There will be "local incentives to buy plug-in cars as well as federal incentives."

While low-speed electrics are on sale, the next generation will be freeway-capable vehicles with 100- to 150-mile ranges, designed to behave like regular cars. These aren't hybrids, like Prius, or electric/gas cars like General Motors' Volt due in 2010. Their only powerplant is electric. That's why automakers are courting deals with states and cities for plugs. They fear customers will reject them if they can't recharge them outside their garages.

With that support, electrics could be big business.

About 7 million vehicles, 10% of the world's total annual vehicle sales, will be powered entirely by electricity by 2020, predicted Nissan Motor CEO Carlos Ghosn in a speech at the Los Angeles Auto Show last week. They may show up sooner and in greater numbers in some countries than others, he said. The governments of nations including Israel, Denmark and Portugal look like they want to be on the leading edge, and they are the ones Ghosn wants to work with. "I don't want to waste my time with a government that says, 'The electric car may be my 15th priority,' " Ghosn says.

In the U.S., the partnerships with governments are considered important because automakers want localities to commit to installing charging stations. While most motorists will recharge electrics in their garages, public charging stations could help extend their range.

In Oregon, Nissan plans to sell its zero-emission electrics in return for an electric-vehicle-charging network. Major power company Portland General Electric has installed six charging stations. The state is expected to consider offering tax credits to buyers of up to $5,000.

Nissan hasn't shown the electric vehicle it plans to launch. While the car could go on sale worldwide within two years of its unveiling, the plan is for the costly batteries to be leased separately. That way, buyers will have less worry about battery reliability and will be able to trade for new ones as technology improves.

Two other makers disclosed more about their electric-vehicle plans at the L.A. Auto Show last week:

•BMW. The German automaker is launching its electric program through its Mini brand. It plans to place 500 all-electric Mini E compacts, equipped with advanced lithium-ion batteries, on the streets of Los Angeles and New York in a test. The two-seater — the back-seat space is occupied by the batteries — has a range of 156 miles per full charge and can be recharged in about two hours, BMW says. The electric motor produces the equivalent of 204 horsepower, good for electronically limited speeds up to 95 miles per hour.

•Mitsubishi Motors. The Japanese automaker is going to deliver an electrical vehicle called the i MiEV to a big Southern California electric utility for testing. The car is slated to go on sale in Japan next year and could come to the U.S. soon after. The subcompact has a 330-volt motor that's more powerful than the 64-horsepower engine in the gasoline version of the car. The four-seater will have a range of 100 miles.

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